Croque Monsieur Casserole
A classic French bistro sandwich made into a divine casserole featuring ham and Gruyere cheese baked in a rich and creamy custard. Serve with a side with of raspberry jam and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar or drizzle with maple syrup, Enjoy!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- Butter for greasing the baking dish
- 14 oz. Gruyere or Swiss cheese divided
- 13 (4 1/2-inch) day old mini croissants split
- 8 oz. deli-sliced ham I use maple ham
- 6 lg. eggs
- 2 c. half & half
- 1 T. Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 T. fresh chopped thyme
- 1 T. thinly sliced chives for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper for garnish
- Raspberry jam for serving, optional
- Pure maple syrup for serving, optional
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Butter an 8x12-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Shred 10 ounces of the cheese and cube the remaining 4 ounces into 1/2-inch pieces. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Using a serrated knife, slice the croissants in half lengthwise leaving a small hinge.
- Tear the ham in half and roll or drape each half on the bottom halves of the croissants. Top with about 2 tablespoons shredded cheese. Reserve the remaining shredded cheese (about 2/3 cup) for the top of the casserole. Fold the top half of the croissants over the cheese pressing down to make the croissant sandwiches.
- Slice each sandwich in half crosswise and place into the prepared casserole dish, alternating cut-sides up and pointed-ends up.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add half and half, Dijon mustard, salt, and thyme, whisking until well combined. Slowly pour the custard mixture over the croissant sandwiches. Cover with aluminum foil and let sit a room temperature for 1 hour. (Alternatively, cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before proceeding.)
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the cubed cheese randomly between soaked croissants and sprinkle evenly with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake the casserole, covered, for 40 minutes: uncover and bake until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Top with chives and fresh cracked black pepper if desired. Serve with a side with of raspberry jam and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar or drizzle with maple syrup and enjoy!